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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Dogs Playing Poker by C.M. Coolidge

Dogs Playing Poker-1903

Dogs Playing Poker is a painting from the collection of C.M.
Coolidge that includes sixteen oil productions. The work was commissioned as
part of a cigar advertising campaign for Brown & Bigelow and represents
five dogs playing poker and taking on human behavior and actions. Its appeal was
based in the uniqueness of its representation of activities that were both
manly and social.

The painter C.M. Coolidge was a brainchild for his time. He
started the first bank at 27 years old and engaged in rigorous study before
putting his hand to the canvas. His wealth allowed him to spend considerable
time working on this as well as other artistic endeavors. In 1903, he was
contracted by C.M. Coolidge to produce a number of paintings of dogs. He was
paid the small fortune of $10,000 for the work on dogs.

Over a hundred years later, the painting still holds its
value and sold at a New York auction house for $590,000 in 2005 (CNN, 2005).
This is an exceptional value considering that many of the appraisers believed
that the paintings would sell between 30K and 50K. They failed to understand
the cultural iconic nature of the work.

Coolidge had an interesting but not well-known history. He
was born to two wealthy farmers in upper state New York in 1844. He spent a
great portion of his time working on the farm for his parents and bought a
couple of businesses in his hometown of Antwerp. He traveled Europe but never
really received any formal painting education. You may learn more about his biography
HERE.

If you scroll the Internet looking for information you come
across an interesting concept that Coolidge put within the paintings clues to
the Papcy. No idea if these claims are true or more of a fantasy of some
writers. However, the argument is that like Leonardo Di Vinci, Coolidge liked
to play little games with his work that included putting interesting puzzles of
mystery in his works. A few have argued
that the painting is a subtle mock of arrogance mixed with wealth. No one knows
for sure.

What we do know is that the dog picture seems to have a
particular fondness among men and its reproductions are seen hanging in
mechanic shops, clubs, barbershops and many more places. You will find that the
dogs are masculine and similar like you might find on a farm. Perhaps this is
the way Coolidge defines his masculinity.
In either case, the painting is fondly remembered and part of pop
culture..